During an interview with CNN this week, Harry Reid pulled no punches as he assaulted Speaker of the House John Boehner’s political performance in the month leading up to the shutdown of the federal government. According to Reid, the two had agreed on a deal that would have effectively prevented the impasse, but Boehner ended up bowing to pressure from hardline conservatives in the House resulting in the shutdown.

The Nevada Senator later admitted to leaking emails to the press to implicate the Speaker in backing out of their deal to support a clean budget bill.